Wild well control



July 11, 1933. w. w. WHITWAM WILD WELL CONTROL Filed Oct. 31. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Wallace W Whifwam 43mm 6am QM ATTORNEY5 July 11, 1933. w. w. WHITWAM WILD WELL CONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct.

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ATTORNEYJ Patented July 11, 1933 PATENT OFFICE WALLACE W. mu, 0! HOUSTON, TEXAS WILD WELL CONTROL Application filed October 81, 1938. Serial No. 640,868.

This invention relates to the control of wells which have gone out of control due to excessive gas pressure in the well. It relates particularly to the structure of the apparatus which I have and the manner in which it is used for getting the well back under control after it has already run wild.

It is a more or less frequent occurrence in oil field operations to encounter high gas pressure in or above the producing stratum. This, because of its high pressure, blows the fluid and perhaps the tools from the well and gets beyond control. This occurs more or less frequently after the well has been .tubed or during the operation of tubing the well. Great economic losses result under these circumstances and there is also a danger to life and property which may result from the well taking fire.

It is an object of my invention to provide a device which will enable me to control the well and to cut off the flow of gas and liquid firom the well even after the well has taken I desire to do away with the usual difliculties of blowing out the well or destroying the entire apparatus by the operation of forcing heavy mud-laden liquid into the well and exerting a back pressure against the gas and liquid suflicient to confine the same to the well and prevent its flowing until the apparatus at the upper end of the well may be properly adjusted.

I desire to provide a device which may be operated at a safe distance from the well to adjust the mud-flowing apparatus so that it may be operated to fill the well without danger to life or property. 7

The invention resides particularly in the construction and arrangement of the apparatus and the manner it which it is operated, an understanding of which may be obtained from the drawings herewith.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my apparatus showing the same in position for operation.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the delivery end of the apparatus shown in position over the upper end of the well;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the axle of the trailer upon which my ipe is mounted, showing the manner in w ich it may be anchored.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the truck and pump employed in m device and illustrat- 65 ing the manner in which the pipe may be adjusted in positioning the same for operation.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the plane 55 of Fig. 4 illustrating the adjusted apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail showing the manner in which the frame is supported upon the wheels of the trailer taken approximately on the plane 66 of Fig. 1, the details of the frame being eliminated.

In constructing my apparatus, I contemplate mounting a mud delivery pipe 1 upon a portable support. With reference particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the ipe 1 may be made in sections secured toget er by couplings 2 of any desired construction. At the intake end of this pipe I have shown a fitting 3 connected to the delivery end of the pum through a coupling member 4. At the elivery end of the pipe 1 I have shown a cross shaped fittin 5 to which the pipe is connected, the side 0 the fitting opposite the pipe being closed by a bull plug 6.

There is a assage vertically through the cross 5 into t e upper end of which is se cured a short section of pipe 7 having therein a valve 8, which is normall open but which may be closed by the rotatlon of the stem 9. Above the valve the pipe 7 is open for the pas-' 35 sage of fluid from the well upwardly to the atmosphere or to some place of storage as desired. The valve 8 has its stem 9 connected to an operating rod 10, which is extended lat- 'erally away from the delivery end for operation at a distance through the handle 11 thereon, said v.rod being supported upon the pipe 1 by vertical supports 12.

The lower side of the cross 8 is provided with a swaged nipple 13, which is reduced downwardly through one or more stages 13' for connection with a delivery nozzle 14. The nozzle 14 is intended to be projected into the upper end of the tubing or drill stem 15, which projects upwardly into the casing 16. ml

It is to be understood that although the apparatus is arranged for delivery of mud into the upper end of the tubing or drill stem, it may be necessary to use my device in a casing having no inner tube therein. In such case I contemplate providing nipples swaged' in the opposite direction and adapted to fit within the u per end of the casing so as to deliver the mmihnto the casing instead of the tubing as here shown.

The pipe is portably supported intermediate its ends upon an axle 17, mounted upon wheels 18. The support is shown in Fig. 6 as comprising a ring or bushing 19 mounted upon the pipe and having laterally and downwardly directed legs 20 connected with sleeves 22 upon the axle. There is a frame mounted upon the pipe of cantilever construction adapted to support the pipe between its ends. This frame includes two spaced rectangular plates 24, which form a support for cables 23, which extend through openings in the corners of each of the plates and are brought down for engagement toward the delivery end of the pipe with a collar 25, which has laterally extending lugs 26 thereon, with which the cables are connected. At the upstream end of the pipe there is a similar collar 25, to which the cables are connected. and turnbuckles 27 are formed at this end of the frame to adjust the tension upon the cables so as to firmly support the pipe between its ends.

The pump which is adapted to deliver mud to the pipe 1 is shown at 28. It is mounted upon a truck 29 and is connected to a flexible hose 30. This hose is connected by means of a coupling 31 to a pipe section 32, which in turn is connected by the coupling 4, previously noted, to the pipe 1.

The short section 32 of pipe is supported for a limited lateral movement within a ring or bushing-33 shown in Figures 4 and 5. Said bushing is formed of a lower plate 34 and an upper plate 35 secured together by bolts 36 extending through laterally extending lugs upon the two plates. The upper plate 35 is provided with an upwardly extending arm having a sleeve 37 thereon threaded to engage upon a transverse shaft 38. On the section 32-of the connecting pipe is formed a ball shaped bearing member 39, about which the plates 34 and 35 engage and thereby provide a flexible support for the pipe.

The shaft 38 previously noted is supported at its ends in sleeves 40 mounted on arms extending rearwardly from nuts 41 which are threaded upon upright shafts 42 at each end. The shafts 42 are supported at their lower ends in bearing cups 43 mounted upon brackets 44, secured at 45 to the rear end of the truck. At their upper ends the shafts 42 are extended through plates 46, which act to tie the shafts together at their upper ends. These plates are connected by supporting rods 47 with the frame of the truck, as will be seen from Fig. 4. The upper ends of the shafts are squared at 48 to receive wrenches will thus be seen that the rearward end of the pipe is connected with the flexible hose 30 and that it may be swung to one side or the other and also vertically adjusted through the rotation of the transverse shaft 38 and the upright shafts 42.

The device may be adjusted to position over the flowing well by backing the same into as accurate a position'as possible adjacent the upper end of the well, with the nozzle end elevated sufliciently to move into position over the upper end of the tubing 15. The further adjustment so as to bring the nozzle into the upper end of thetubing is madethrough the mechanism just described. The shafts 38 and 42 are rotated to adjust the end of the pipe adjacent the pump vertically or horizontally so as to swing the nozzle over the tube 15 and to then lower it into position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It is contemplated that before the nozzle is lowered into position in the tubing that the trailer upon which the pipe is mounted may be anchored by means of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3. That is, an anchoring member 50 is buried in the ground at approximately the correct position and a chain '51 secured to said anchor is extended u wardly and secured about the axle 17 of t e trailer. This will serve to hold the frame against vertical movement. The adjustment of the nozzle is thereafter obtained by pivoting the pipe about the axle as a fulcrum.

When the nozzle has been extended into the tubing I contemplate securing it in that position by means connected with the upper end of the casing. I have shown, in Figs. 1 and 2, an ordinary elevator comprising a collar 52 which can be'clamped around the casing beneath the coupling at the upper end thereof. Said elevator has two u wardly extending bails or handles 53, WlllCll are engaged over the forward end of the pipe 1. It is to be understood that the bails 53 may be detachably secured to the collar 52 of the elevator and will be engaged over the pipel and the bull plug 6, and then connected with the elevator in the usual manner. A connection thus made will tend to prevent the upward stream of fluid from the well from moving the delivery nozzle out of adjusted position in use.

When the apparatus has been thus moved into position the valve 8 will be oxen and the flow from the well will be upwar ly through the pipe 7 without material resistance. I may, if the well is on fire, be pumping a stream of cold water through the nozzle w ile support therefor, a prefssure pump connect it is being adjusted. When the adjustment has been accomplished, however, I contemplate closing the valve 8 by means of the rod 10 and immediately starting the pump so as to deliver a stream of heavy mud through the pipe 1 and the nozzle 14 to the well. Strong pumps developing a comparatively high pressure may be used and the mud-laden fluid may be weighted by ordinary weighting materials such as iron oxide or barite.

This mud, discharged under pressure into the well, will be of high specific gravity and under the force of the pump pressure will tend to force the gas and liquid back into the well and will form a head of mud in the well suflicient to overcome the force of the gas, pressure and confine the gas within the formation and stop the flow. It will then be possible to make connections with the upper end of the well to control the flow of fluid. It is obvious that when'the well has been filled with the mud and flow stopped, my apparatus may be removed from the well and proper connections made. It is also possible to use the pipe 7 for connections with flow lines properly equipped and to connect the same more securely with the upper end of the tubing or drill stem and to then relieve the pressure and allow the well to flow.

The'important feature of my invention is to overcome the flow of fluid from the well without the necessity of ruining the well or the apparatus connected therewith. I am enabled to, quickly and effectively stop the flow from the well and to then equip the upper end of the well so that the flow may be taken care of with the usual apparatus. My device is simple in construction andmay he quickly and effectively operated without danger to the operator. T can not only reduce the loss and waste due to the uncontrolled flow of fluid from the well, but I will reduce the danger to life in placing the same under control What I claim as new is:

1. A device of the character described including; a mud discharge pipe, a portable support therefor, a pressure pump Connected with the upstream end of mid pipe. a cross shaped fitting at the downstream end of said pipe, an open upwardly directed pipe on said fitting, avalve therein, a downwardly directed' pipe on said fitting. and meansto adjust said pipe to position said nozzle to discharge mud into a well.

2. A device of the character described including; a mud discharge pipe, :1 portable ed with the'upstream en kl of said pipe, a cross shaped fitting at the downstream end of said pipe,a downwardly directed pipe on said fitting, and means to adjust said pipe to position said nozzle to discharge mud into a well.

3. A device of the character described including; a mud discharge pipe, a portable support therefor, a pressure pump connected with the upstream end of said pipe, a cross shaped fitting at the downstream end of said pipe, a downwardly extending discharge nozzle on said fitting shaped to engage within a well pipe, means to adjust said nozzle vertically and laterally, and means to close the upward flow of fluid through said fitting.

4. A device for controlling wells including a portable pipe, :1 pressure mud pump connected therewith, a vertically extending pipe section on the forward end thereof, a nozzle at the lower end of said section adapted to engage within a well pipe, a valve in the upper portion of said pipe section, means to control said valve from a distance and means to adjust said pipe and said nozzle bothvertically and horizontally.

5. A device for controlling wells including a portable pipe, a pressure mud pump connected therewith, a vertically extending pipe section on the forward end thereof, a nozzle at the lower end of said section adapted to engage within a well pipe, a valve in the upperportion of said pipe section, means to control said valve from a distance, means to adjust said pipe to position saidnozzle to discharge into the well, and means to anchor said pipe in adjusted position. 1

G. A device for controlling wells including a portahly mounted pipe, a flexible support for one end thereof comprising a collar embracing said pipe, means to adjust said collar vertically and horizoi'itally, means to force mud through said pipe, means to deliver mud from said pipe downwardly into a well, and means to secure said pipe rigidly in adjusted position.

7. A device for controlling wells including a pipe, portable means pivot'ally supporting said pipe between its ends, a mud pumpfi flexible connection between said pump a the upstream end of said pipe, a downwardly directed discharge nozzle on the downstream end of said pipe, means to adjust the said nozzle to discharge mud into a well, and means to anchor said portable means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 26th day of -October, -A;

" WALLACE \V. WHITWAM. 

